The Maine Red Claws selected Magnum Rolle in the first round of the D-League draft Monday. A 6-foot-11 center from Louisiana Tech, Rolle was drafted by Oklahoma City in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft and then traded to the Pacers.

Rolle was cut by the Pacers after Indiana found itself in a roster crunch. Rather than waive backup center Solomon Jones, who had a guaranteed contract, the Pacers elected to part ways with Rolle, despite a strong showing in summer league. Fanhouse’s Matt Moore called Rolle the “steal of the D-League draft.”

The Red Claws are affiliated with the Celtics and Bobcats but players on their roster are free agents who can sign with any NBA team at any time. Still, Rolle is a nice piece for coach Austin Ainge, son of Danny.

Austin Ainge, son of Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge, has been named head coach of the Portland Red Claws. He is the first head coach in the history of this NBA Development League team.

‘I have always been intrigued by new ideas and innovation,’ Red Claws President and General Manager Jon Jennings said in a team statement. ‘Austin Ainge brings that to our team. He blew me away with his ability to analyze players and game strategy. When I was a young coach with the Celtics, video was the new revolution. Today, it’s statistical analysis. Austin brings that to a whole new level. Combine that with his ability to develop players and his background, and he is going to be a fantastic head coach.’

Ainge, 27, most recently served as a scout for the Celtics. His responsibilities included working with J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker while they were assigned to the D-League’s Utah Flash. Ainge served as an assistant coach at Southern Utah University after finishing his basketball career at Brigham Young University.

‘I have had the unique opportunity to be on many sides of this business,’ Ainge said in the statement. ‘A main focus for me, as I have drawn from each situation, is talent evaluation. That includes both as the team is being assembled and during the season. As a coach, you must focus on which plays to call and what defensive adjustments to make, but even more important is which players are your best players and which lineups are playing the best together. Evaluating your own players and lineups is paramount, and using statistical analysis is a big help in making more accurate evaluations.’